12 Friday, April 22, • 1977
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
American Airlines Promotes Mexican Tours
NEW YORK—The color-
ful diversity of Mexico and
the dollar bargains it offers
travelers will be empha-
sized in an intensive mar-
keting campaign by Ameri-
can Airlines.
"Mexico and American
Airlines have been partners
in travel and tourism for
nearly 35 years," Randall
Malin, the airline's vice
president-sales and advertis-
ing, said. "We have pro-
moted Mexico with en-
thusiasm and with encour-
aging results since we
began DC-3 service in
1942."
Malin said that the vast
majority of those who visit
Mexico City or Acapulco on
American have become fre-
quent repeat travelers.
"The friendliness of the
people and the wealth of
Mexico. offers
have proven irresistible
lures in bringing visitors
back time and time again,"
he said.
American plans a strong
sales push for the 1977 sum-
mer and fall seasons, put-
ting heavy emphasis on the
values awaiting tourists as
a result of the devaluation
of Mexican currency.
American's selection of
Mexico travel packages
with trips featured to Mexi-
co City, Acapulco, and
varying combinations of the
most requested Mexican
destinations will be detailed
in a new brochure that is
available to travel agencies
and American Airlines of-
fices.
Americana Hotels, a sub-
sidiary of the airline, will
join American in promoting
the sale of Mexican vaca-
tions. The hotel chain oper-
ates the Fiesta Palace in
Mexico City and the Con-
desa del Mar, El Presi-
dente and Fiesta Tortuga in
Acapulco.
There is a wide variety of
lounges and restaurants at
all three hotels, and under
AmeriCana's exclusive
"dine around" policy,
guests at one Acapulco
hotel can use the beach,
swimming pool and dining
facilities at all three.
Acapulco will be featured
in a short film that will be
shown on all DC-10 flights
of two hours or more and
on all 707 movie flights.
The flavor and flourish of
a Mexican fiesta Will gar-
nish a colorful new meal
service on flights to Mexi-
co. Two menus have been
created to include a choice
between a new entree and a
proven favorite. Zesty side
dishes, appetizers, salads--
The exciting lobby bar of the Fiesta Tortuga is
and desserts round out the
at th6 center of everything. The 250-room hotel has four— menu. Menus will be ro-
restaurants and lounges. (American Airlines photo by Bob
tated monthly to assure a
Takis)
greater selection.
Choose
your
Charter
LAS
•
PftAS
SWITZERLAND
WHAT EVER
THE TRIP
WE HAVE IT!
SAN JUAN
H44 WM/
J ule4 Dimwit
"You will never disappear
from the face of the earth
Oh 'Israel!
Nor will your deserts stop
giving rosebuds.
...Place of struggles
And heroic realities!
Be ever blessed!"
The above excerpted lines
were written not by, a
newly-emigrated Jew from
the Soviet Union...nor a vis-
iting-- landsman from our
own country. Rather, they
are the words of Margarita
Lopez Portillo, the sister of
Mexico's newly-elected pres-
ident ! And were a direct
outgrowth of her trip to Is-
rael late last year. This, in
itself, says a lot about cur-
rent Mexico-Israeli rela-
tions.
Yes, important political
and social changes have
been taking place South of
the Border over the past
Several months.
Indeed, one of these
changes became immedi-
ately apparent as our Amer-
ican Airlines 707 taxied up
to the main terminal build-
ing in Mexico City. Looking
out the window I spotted an
El Al plane parked nearby,
tangible evidence of Is-
rael's recently-concluded
landing agreement with
Mexico.
Then, two days later, I
read in The News, Mexico's
English language daily,
that the Second Latin Amer-
ican Conference on Soviet
Jewry was being held right
here, in Mexico City ! What
the newspaper account
failed to mention (but
which leaflets posted in var.
lous Jewish sections of the
city did) was that Marga-
rita Lopez Portillo was her-
self a prominent participant
in this three-day. meeting.
that my trip here convinced
me that actions taken both
before and after Lopez Por-
tillo -assumed his country's
preSidency have materially
strengthened ties with Is-
rael, and with Jewish in-
stitutions in Mexico and the
United States!
Indeed, I came away feel-
ing that relations between
Israel and Mexico are now
very much on the mend;
and that both countries are
fully intent on building, posi-
tively, for the future.
Which, quite frankly, made
my visit here all the mare
"comfortable."
Having said that, I'd like
inow to describe some of the
many enjoyable sights that
you, the Jewish traveller,
will find in this fascinating
land.
I'll lead off by pointing
out that this, was actually
my first trip to Mexico.
And like so many before
me', I chose to combine sev-
eral days in Mexico City
with the sunny pleasures of
Acapulco.
'
Then, too, one can cite
the recent reinstatement of
both the Bnai Brith and
American Jewish Congress
member travel programs to
Mexico; also the fact that
individual Jewish travellers
are starting -to return in
greater ;numbers.
However, it is not my in-
tention to dwell on past his-
tory. (This, after all, is a
travel story.) Suffice to say
Here I especially recom-:
mend any of the two dozen
Mexico packages offered by
American Airlines. I think
you'll find, as I did, that
American provides some
most attractive vacation
values. And speaking about
s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g the budget,
don't forget _ that the Ameri-
It's estimated that more
than 90 percent of Mexico's
45,000 Jews live in the capi-
tal. The major social, recre-
ational and cultural in-
stitution catering to this
community is the Jewish
Sports Center, located at
Avenida M. Avila Camacho
620.
(Continued on Page 15)
Pan Am Offers
New Israel Tour
Shown is the modernistic
Holy Ark of Nidje Israel,
Mexico City's oldest Ortho-
dox congregation.
ST. MAARTEN
#04,1
CANARY ISLANDS
TRAVEL AGENCY
CERTIFIED TRAVEL COUNSELOR • 20 YEAR MEMBER OF ASTA
r
to
VW
MUMS
,a1. 1
,
„,
HARVARD ROW MALL • 11 MILE & LAHSER ROADS '
SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN
353-5811
can dollar buys even more
these days, at Mexico's new
rate of exchange.
Mexico City is a sprawl-
ing, tree-lined metropol-
is...7,364 feet high...the- old-
est city in the Western Hem-
isphere...with some of the
most breathtakingly mod-
ern architecture you'll find
anywhere. Plus literally
hundreds of intriguing
shops... and a fantastic
array of excellent places, to
dine.
Our hotel, the well-situat-
ed Fiesta Palace, was just
minutes away from a host
of "must visit" attractions
including The Palace of
Fine Arts, home of the
world-famous Ballet Folk-
lorico. Close by too was the
Zona Rosa (or Pink Zone)
with its smart boutiques,
fashionable supper clubs
and gourmet restaurants;
also Chapultepec Park's
2,100 acres of wooded green-
ery.
This park is also where
the not-to-be-missed Nation-
al Museum of Anthropology
is located. Among the mu-
seum's many treasures—
the fabled Aztec Calendar
Stone' and superb artifacts
recovered from the Maya
in Yucatan.
Well 'worth a visit too are
the extraordinary Toltec
Pyramids of Teotihuacan,
some 31 miles northeast of
the capital.
Mexico City's Heluany kosher bakery and grocery.
store is shown during Passover with a large stock of mat-
zot.
Pan Am has a new tour
which offers a different
way to go to Israel, via Rio
and South Africa.
This 21-day program
starts with two days in Rio
de Janeiro. From Rio the
next stop is Johannesburg,
the first of many places in
South Africa that will be vis-
ited during the next seven
days. Other visits are sched-
uled for Pretoria, Cape
Town, Kruger Park for
game viewing, Paarl and
Stellenbosch, plus trips to a
gold mine and an African
village.
Arrangements can also
be made to meet with the
local Jewish communities
in Brazil and South Africa.
After a week in South Af-
rica the next stop is Israel
where during the 10-day
stay one may visit Tel.
Aviv, Jaffa, a kibutz, the
Golan Heights, Upper Gali-
lee, Jerusalem, and the
Negev, Dead Sea and Ma-
sada. ,
For information, call a
travel agent or Pan AM
and ask for the Rio, South
Africa. Israel tour.